Our Actions

Below is a timeline of some of the actions we have taken or achievements we have made

2013

• Our reduction in the amount of plastic used was as follows:
  • Hi-Fi range – 3% reduction
  • Alfa-A range – 6-10% reduction
  • Healthy Hooves – 23% reduction

2014

• Moved away from soya oil grown in Brazil to rapeseed oil grown in the UK to guard against deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and reduce “feed miles”

2015

• Began the replacement of all sodium lighting to LED to reduce energy usage
• Introduced an automated stock control system to replace a paper-based system
• Dengie achieved the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety standard

2016

• Changed to a packaging supplier with the capability to re-use and remove solvents used in the print process without leaving a residue in the environment. In addition the heat generated in their recovery process is reused in their production facility.

2017

• Invested in improved equipment to increase the amount of stretch achieved with our stretch wrap by over 65%. This meant an extra 600 pallets could be wrapped per ton of stretch wrap film.

2018

• Completed a survey to show that yields of cereals grown on fields where alfalfa is a part of the crop rotation have increased in contrast to fields where alfalfa isn’t grown

2019

• Introduced carbon neutral packaging for Hi-Fi Original
• Solar panels were installed on our new office building

2020

• Introduced the maximum amount of recycled plastic into our packaging that is possible to use at this time whilst ensuring the bags remain recyclable when finished with
• Biodegradable sample bags and labels were introduced
• A 5% reduction in organic waste in FY20 compared to FY19

2021

• Introduced one hybrid and one fully electric car into our small fleet of company cars
• Embarking on accreditation with Investors in the Environment
• We currently use around 60 tons of recycled material in our packaging, which equates to around 150,000 4pint milk bottles.

2022

• Achieved bronze status for Investors in the Environment
• We installed an electric charging point at our Head Office and now have 3 fully electric cars and 3 hybrids in our fleet of company cars.
• During October to December 2022, we used around 45% less electricity than for the same period in 2021. This was as a result of increasing our energy efficiency by switching off equipment and lights when not in use and continuing to swap lights bulbs for energy efficient versions.
• We have started to send any plastic we can’t use from our own site back to be recycled into the packaging film we use for our feeds.
• We introduced a pallet return scheme to enable us to reuse and recycle pallets, and as a result we reduced the number of fresh pallets we brought by 59% This is the equivalent of saving 1,350 trees from being felled for virgin timber for us!

2023

• Achieved Green status – which is the highest possible for the Investors in the Environment scheme!
• The team at Dengie has maintained a good (EMS) Environmental Management System and driven down emissions in many key areas, in particular electricity and natural gas.
• The organisation has achieved an excellent reduction in its carbon emissions.
• The company installed an EV charging point as several members of staff have electric cars and so can now charge them for free.
• Dengie has undertaken a number of projects to enhance the environment and support staff wellbeing, as well as the local community.
• Dengie undertook a waste audit in January 2022 to inform waste management, and waste has continued to be reduced to update it for this year. We are now a brand champion for the Green Tractor Scheme to encourage waste reduction.
• The organisation has a policy to recycle as much unavoidable waste as possible and utilises a contractor (Green Recycling) which has a zero waste to landfill policy.
• Several measures are undertaken to reduce waste including sending waste packaging back to the supplier for reuse or recycling, installing machines with longer product runs, undertaking regular line checks and maintenance, paperlite initiatives and reusing waste products where possible.
• Dengie has undertaken a number of projects to enhance the local environment, support staff wellbeing and support the local community. Staff entered a ‘Christmas decorations from waste’ competition, got involved with fundraising for charities and provided gifts for Farleigh Hospice. A no smoking day also helped those staff considering giving up.